Any columnist covering this field who failed to note O.J. Simpson’s lamentable change of status from in-it-to-win-it sports-crime competitor to DQ’d resident of High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, Nevada, would be grossly derelict in his duties.

Sports blotter: "Good call, coach" edition There have been a lot of mysteries surrounding the Patriots in the Bill Belichick years, not surprising given the intense effort the team puts into maintaining airtight clubhouse and organizational secrecy in general.

Sports blotter: "Late-night shopping" edition San Diego State Aztecs basketball coach Steve Fisher lectures his players during the season about how to behave off the court, getting pretty specific about what he doesn’t want to see.

Sports blotter: "End of an era" edition Absolutely nothing is funny about the Lawrence Phillips case, so let’s not even go there — there isn’t a single laugh to be found in this past week’s news that the onetime Next Jim Brown was sentenced to 10 years in Cali.

Sports blotter: "Next Lawrence Phillips" edition Details right now are still sketchy, but Thunder Collins, a former University of Nebraska running back who was once considered a sure-fire NFL star, has been charged with murder.